BACK in 2018, an intrepid team of Under 15 girls became the first-ever from Kingsbridge to win the RFU’s National Cup, writes Gareth Bewley.

Just four years later they became the first team to do it a second time, putting a small town on the rugby map in a big way. The legacy of this incredible success is diverse, encouraging and ambitious.

The rugby club now has well over 400 youngsters, girls and boys, playing regularly and enjoying their sport.

On the back of this trail-blazing success, a women’s team has been created. They have progressed to the National Leagues and finished the season strongly with a very creditable 4th position in their debut league season.

Unlike some other clubs, their squad size is growing and remains a nurturing and inclusive environment for players of all abilities and experiences. This terrific and welcome growth in women’s and girl’s rugby has however put some pressure on the club facilities at High House, Kingsbridge.

With insufficient changing facilities to adequately serve such a high number of teams, the club needs to find a huge amount of money to extend and enhance its already impressive community offering. The club is volunteer-led and needs help financing such changes that will bring much-needed benefits to all players, supporters, visitors and members of the club.

To celebrate the achievements of all of Kingsbridge’s women, players, volunteers, employees and supporters and to hopefully raise some money for an ambitious extension that will make the club even more accessible for all who want to play and enjoy their rugby, the club is pleased to announce the inaugural Amazon Good Friday.

An invitational match that will see many of those pioneering girls from 2018 return to the pitch to take on Kingsbridge’s Women in a fun, unconventional match that wants to celebrate women’s sport in general and Kingsbridge’s achievements in particular.

Some of these girls now have international caps, others have played in the Premiership, still more haven’t played rugby since those heady national cup-winning days. All will be celebrated in a day of fun, festivity and the family environment we value so much at High House.

These Amazons will be in the unusual position of being the visiting opposition at High House, playing against our home-grown women’s team. This is a group of women with very diverse levels of rugby experience but with one common love of the game, their team and their achievements in the past year.

The game will be overseen by the national cup-winning coach, Dean Womack, a long-time champion of the women’s game. There are surprises planned for the game itself, we look forward to mixing up the players, the positions and maybe even the laws of the game. We anticipate a lot of laughs and a very entertaining afternoon of rugby.

With the Women’s World Cup taking place later this year in England, the spotlight will be on women’s and girls’ rugby like never before so now is the time to step up, join in the fun and support both, the amazing Kingsbridge Women and The Amazons!

Those involved hope you can join them on Good Friday, from 1pm onwards, as they look to write the next chapter for women’s rugby at High House, giving these Amazon warriors and the girls following in their steps the facilities their achievements deserve.